New Delhi, Feb 7 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today gave its approval for continuation of Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) for Scheduled Tribes (ST) students for pursuing higher studies.

The student belonging to ST category will be given fellowship for pursuing higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph. D regular courses and there will be effecting changes in the rates of fellowship as and when required, to keep them at par with the Union Grant Commission (UGC) fellowship rates.

The scheme would be continued in the Eleventh Five Year Plan period and thereafter.

The scheme covers all universities and institutions recognized by the UGC.

The maximum duration of the fellowship will be five years. The total number of fellowships given in a year will be 667.

An outlay of 260 million rupees will be spent in the current fiscal and during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, expenditure is projected at Rs. 1.76 billion. (ANI)